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Kadirgamar opposes censorship in Lanka

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has opposed the strict censorship laws imposed on the media by President Chandrika Kumaratunga in the wake of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's assault to regain Jaffna. He said it would undermine the credibility of the government.

''It (censorship) is something that does not meet with my personal approval. I have many philosophical and practical reasons to say that I do not think the muscling of free expression is a healthy thing for any democratic society ... You cannot hide the truth however hard you try . And when the truth is out after you have tried assiduously to conceal it, the effect is very bad for credibility,'' he said in an interview to CNN.

He said for a variety of reasons he was not in favour of censorship. ''I would like to see it lifted''.

Asked whether it could be seen as defiance of the president's order, the minister hoped that Kumaratunga would ''certainly engage in a very informed debate on this very important question''. ''The president, in my opinion, is an extremely enlightened person who copes well with different points of view.''

Characterising the LTTE's assault on Jaffna as ''serious'', Kadirgamar reiterated his government's resolve to hold on to the northern region of the country and brook no 'third party' control over it.

''We want to hold Jaffna, and Jaffna is a part of Sri Lanka. Jaffna is never, never going to belong to a third party, and the LTTE is a third party in this context,'' he stressed.

Questioned about the problem of refugees fleeing from strife-torn Jaffna, he said they were escaping from the LTTE which, he said, is a fascist force.

''There are thousands and thousands of Tamil civilians who are there and do not and do not want them (LTTE) to come... Because they are a fascist force, totally and utterly undemocratic.''

UNI

Centre ignores Thackeray, Vaiko, extends ban on LTTE for 2 years
LTTE bid to advance on Jaffna repelled, claims Lanka

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